Switch for toy vehicle tracks



Jun 21, 1938. E. HORN 2,121,695

SWITCH FOR TOY VEHICLE TRACKS Filed Nov. 18, 1936 f/vV enfarq Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE Application November 18, 1936, Serial No. 111,514

- In Germany May 20, 1936 3 Claims.

This invention relates to switches for toy vehicle tracks, and more particularly to switches for tracks of this kind that are adapted for the travel of toy-vehicles without the use of rails. My invention consists essentially therein that the switch-tongue which is ordinarily adjustable in lateral direction to close or open the respective track is of proper construction to have its edge, against which the toy-vehicle abuts, positioned at such a height above the track that the toy-vehicle during passage through the switch does not abut against said switch-tongue with its wheels but with the lateral surface of its body. The body of the toy-vehicle during passage through the switch will thus slide along said switch-tongue and push the latter towards the side.

According to my invention the switch tongue is further provided at the edge which comes in sliding contact with the body of the toy-vehicle during passage of the latter through the switch with a convexly curved surface projecting into the track, said surface serving to receive the impact of the toy vehicle, entering the switch, so that the toy-vehicle will move the switch-tongue in a lateral direction over the track without any appreciable shock being exerted.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification I have represented an example of a switch constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 1 being a side-view showing the new switch as well as a toy-vehicle entering the same, Fig. 2 a topview taken on Fig. 1, Fig. 3 an elevation, partly in section of a part of the body of the switch in direction transversely to the tracks showing in particular the switch tongue and its connection with the bottom of the track, and Fig. 4 an elevation, partly in section, in the direction of the track showing in particular the toy-vehicle entering the switch and abutting against the switch-tongue. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan View of a modified barrier member.

As Fig. 1 shows, the switch-tongue or looking member proper 4 of the switch is cranked in an upward direction, so that the wheels of the toyvehicle do not come in contact with the switchtongue but only the lateral wall of the body of the vehicle. The switch-tongue or looking member 4, moreover, is pivoted as shown at d to the track-body, the pivot being mounted on the corepiece 2 of the switch.

In order to secure proper guiding of the switchtongue during its swinging motion, the front pointed part of the latter is supported by means of a bolt or guide pin 8 of any desired proper conformation, said bolt being fast on said tongue and entering a guide-slot 8' provided in the track-body. 1

For adjusting the switch by hand there is provided the double-armed. switch operating lever 3 whose free end may eventually also be bent in upward direction to provide better facilities for gripping said lever by hand. In the construction shown in the drawing the switch is so adjusted that a toy-vehicle arriving on the track I may freely enter the track i, the passage from track 6" into track i being blocked by the switchtongue 4. However, if the switch-tongue 4 had previously not been adjusted by hand, the toyvehicle must move the switch-tongue 4 towards the side when entering the track 5. This is accomplished according to my invention in such a way that the toy-vehicle l abuts at the point 6 against the switch-tongue 4, the latter projecting with its convexly curved surface into the track.

Owing to the convexly curved surface of the switch-tongue the toy-vehicle will abut with its lateral wall against said switch-tongue without producing any heavy shock and during continued travel move said switch tongue relatively quickly and without disturbance over the track in a lateral direction.

The switch-tongue or looking member 4 is shown in the drawing as being provided with a convexly curved surface 6 only at one side. Obviously, this convexly curved surface may also be provided according to my invention at the other side of the switch-tongue, as indicated by a dotted line 6 in the drawing. However, it should be understood that it is not absolutely necessary to provide in connection with the novel cranked switch-tongue the convexly curved surface 6; in other words, according to my invention the cranked switch-tongue and the convexly curved surface on the latter are not necessarily combined on one and the same switch-tongue.

Also, the bolt 8 and the slot 8' forming a guide for the former may be omitted in my novel cranked switch-tongue.

I claim:

1. A switch section adapted for insertion into a trough-shaped track body for the travel of a toy vehicle thereon, said switch comprising a pair of converging trough-shaped track portions merging into a single trough-shaped track portion, a swingable barrier pivotally attached to said section intermediate said converging portions and capable of being selectively positioned across the mouth of either of said converging portions, the working edge surfaces of said barrier being positioned at a height greater than the height of the wheels of a toy vehicle, said barrier being adapted to be moved aside by the engagement therewith of the body of a vehicle approaching from the trailing direction, at least one of said working surfaces adjacent the pivot of said barrier being outwardly convex to provide a surface for engaging a vehicle approaching from the trailing direction more nearly at right angles to the path of the vehicle than the remainder of said surface. 7

2. A switch section adapted for insertion into a trough-shaped track body for the travel of a toy vehicle thereon, said switch comprising a pair of converging trough-shaped track portions merging into a single trough-shaped track portion, a swingable barrier pivotally attached to said section intermediate said converging portions and capable of being selectively positioned across the mouth of either of said converging portions, the working edge surfaces of said barrier being positioned at a height greater than the height of the wheels of a toy vehicle, said barrier being adapted to be moved aside by the engagement therewith of the body of a vehicle approaching from the trailing direction, at least one of said working surfaces adjacent the pivot of said barrier being outwardly convex. to provide a surface for engaging a vehicle approaching from the trailing direction more nearly at right angles to the path of the vehicle than the remainder of said surface, the pivoted portion of said barrier being offset in a lower horizontal plane than the remaining portion of said barrier to permit said latter portion to be positioned at the height aforesaid.

3; A switch section adapted for insertion into a trough-shaped track body for the travel of a toy vehicle thereon, said switch comprising a pair of converging trough-shaped track portions merging into a single trough-shaped track portion, a swingable' barrier pivotally attached to said section intermediate said converging portions and capable ofbeing selectively positioned across the mouth of either of said converging portions, the

working edge surfaces of said barrier being positioned at a height greater than the height of the wheels of a toy vehicle, said barrier being adapted to be moved aside by the engagement therewith of the body of a vehicle approaching from the trailing direction, both of said Working surfaces adjacent the pivot of said barrier being outwardly convex to provide surfaces for engaging a vehicle approaching from the trailing direction more nearly at right angles to the path of the vehicle than the remainder of said surfaces.

ERNST HORN. 

